i6S SOUTH- AFRICAN BUTTERFLIES. 



Fab., but is distinguislied by its deeper ground-colour and strong rosy 

 gloss, as well as by the longer and sharper inward nervular dentations 

 of the hind-marginal border of the fore-wings ; the ^, too, is almost 

 always more marked with dusky suffusion at the base of the fore-wings, 

 and has the hind-marginal border of the hind-wings blacker and better 

 defined. In all these characters, except the more sharply-dentated 

 inner edge of the hind-marginal border, Elcdra is more allied to the 

 Himalayan C. Ficldii, Menet., a species remarkable for the large size 

 of the black disco-cellular spot of the fore-wings, which is on the under 

 side (and in one ^ more faintly on the upper side also) centred with 

 silvery-white. The larva of Elcdra dift'ers from the descriptions and 

 figures of that of Edusa known to me by possessing more conspicuous 

 and defined longitudinal stripes of dark and light green, and by want- 

 ing altogether the conspicuous orange spots on the lateral white or 

 yellowish-white streak. 



The ^ deposits her eggs singly, each on a separate leaflet of 

 lucerne, clover, or trefoil.^ The egg is very pale-yellow, very elon- 

 gate, sub-cylindrical, slightly fluted longitudinally ; it is attached by 

 the broader extremity only, so as to stand erect, the smaller free end 

 being subcorneal. 



This Collas seems distributed throughout South Africa ; it is ahuost every- 

 where abundant, and flies throughout the year, but is more prevalent in the 

 summer months. On the wing it is less swift than Edusa, and much less so 

 than Hyale. Some of the duller-tinted $ s, especially if somewhat worn, look 

 very dingy in contrast to tlieir brilliant mates. I have frequently taken the 

 paired sexes, and Colonel Bowker took them at Isipingo in Natal, but in no 

 case that has come under my notice was tlie $ of the white form. The most 

 northern localities for the species known to me are Damaraland on the west 

 and the Upper Limpopo on the north-west border of the Transvaal; but 

 according to Oberthlir, it was met with by Antinori in Abyssinia, and I 

 think it not improbable that the specimens taken by ]\Ir. H. H. Johnston in 

 Kilima-njaro — referred by Mr. Godman (P. Z. S. L., 1885, p. 540) to C. Edum 

 — were actually Eledra. 



Localities of Colias Elcdra. 



I. South Africa. 

 B. Cape Colony. 



a. Western Districts. — Cape Town. Ookiep, Namaqualand District 

 {L. Peringueij). Stellenbosch. Wellington and Paarl. Vogel 

 Vley and Ceres, Tulbagh District. Robertson. Swellendani 

 (Z. Taat><). Van ^Vyk's Vley, Carnarvon District {E. G. Alston). 

 Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Oudtshoorn ( — Adams). 



h. Eastern Districts. — Uitenliage (6*. D. Bairstou'). " Port Eliza- 

 beth." — W. S. M. D'Urban. Grahamstown. Kowie River- 

 mouth (/. E Fry). King William's Town {W. D' Urban). 

 Windvogelberg, Queenstown District {Dr. Bathu). Murraysburg 

 (/. /. Muslcett). Colesberg {A. F. Ortlepij). 



^ Mrs. Barber informs me that the food plants of the larva at Highlands, near Grahams- 

 town, are a species of Indii/nfcra, Trifolium BurchcUianum, and T. Africanum. 



